A not-so-fun hypothetical for Joe Negron
Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, takes a drink of water on the rostrum of the Senate Friday, June 9, 2017 at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. Negron is hoping for $50 million to pay for repairs to the Herbert Hoover dike surrounding Lake Okeechobee. Photo credit: Phil Sears

Legislature 09 ps 060917

So, let’s imagine an imaginary senator—we’ll call him Mack Trackvalla—who gets into a bit of a pickle for some allegedly inappropriate behavior.

There’s an outcry, followed by calls for his resignation, which he laughs at. “I’ll see the place burn first!” this imaginary lawmaker tells news media.

A complaint to the Rules Committee soon follows, then an investigation, which some call a witch hunt, others say isn’t in-depth enough.

No matter. The unthinkable, at least for Trackvalla, happens: The Rules Committee recommends expulsion. Reporters go wild.

The question goes to the floor, and after impassioned debate, Trackvalla is ousted as more than two-thirds of his colleagues vote to boot him out of the chamber.

With a vacant seat, a special election is called.

Then Trackvalla comes up with an ingenious solution and an “F” you to his now-former colleagues: He’s going to qualify to run for his old seat in that special election.

Here’s the thing: There’s no legal bar preventing him from doing so (and I looked).

Trackvalla could tap into his still-loyal contributor network and raise the funds he needs, or he could just spend the MILLIONS he already has in the bank.

Fast forward, and miracle of miracles, he wins. Now what?

Turn to Article III, section 2 of the state Constitution: “Each house shall be the sole judge of the qualifications, elections, and returns of its members….”

What’s a Senate President to do? Say, “We expelled you before, and we’re not letting you back in”? He certainly could. And there’s nowhere to go to appeal.

But this is all just the musings of a distracted mind. Still, food for thought.

Peter Schorsch

Peter Schorsch is the President of Extensive Enterprises and is the publisher of some of Florida’s most influential new media websites, including Florida Politics and Sunburn, the morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics. Schorsch is also the publisher of INFLUENCE Magazine. For several years, Peter's blog was ranked by the Washington Post as the best state-based blog in Florida. In addition to his publishing efforts, Peter is a political consultant to several of the state’s largest governmental affairs and public relations firms. Peter lives in St. Petersburg with his wife, Michelle, and their daughter, Ella.



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